


A Deluded View, Corrected

by American_Oddysey



Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Dragon Quest XI Act II Spoilers, M/M, hendrik can't really defend jasper anymore, the point of no return for the two of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:13:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29778732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/American_Oddysey/pseuds/American_Oddysey
Summary: Deceivedadj.led into an erroneous conclusion
Relationships: (Implied) Graig | Hendrik/Homer | Jasper (Dragon Quest XI)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	A Deluded View, Corrected

Hendrik twirls the amulet in his fingers, the moonlight from the windows shining dully off of the golden token. He hadn’t been able to replace the chain for it, yet. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to. What meaning did it have anymore? He furrows his brow, letting his arm drop back to his side, letting out a ‘puff’ from both the mattress and the sheet. He hadn’t properly talked to Jasper since the events at Cobblestone. Hendrik would be lying if he said he wasn’t avoiding Jasper since then. But with what the witch in Sniflheim had said… 

The general sat up, placing his head in his hands. “It’s just like his.” She’d said. “I promised the one who released me that I’d freeze you in your tracks.” He’d be foolish if he just ignored that. Why did it have to be in Sniflheim? Why did she have to say _anything_ to him? The witch had said just enough to let Hendrik be paranoid, yet this wasn’t even out of the question.

Jasper had an outburst years ago, snapping at Hendrik about things that weren’t really under the general’s control. The knight had felt bad at the time, and even blamed himself for the poor treatment his friend had received since Dundrasil. He knew better, now. Only the next day, Jasper had been promoted to admiral, though the position was pretty much a flourish and nothing more, it didn’t keep the blonde from acting a bit more reasonably. To an extent. Jasper was an amazing tactician, Hendrik had to admit. Wars were won just because of the blonde’s impeccable leadership skills. Hendrik couldn’t have been more proud of Jasper at the time, even despite Jasper’s attitude towards the general. He’d been cold, distant. Trying to burn a bridge that had been built up over decades. Hendrik tried his best, he really did, but it was obvious that Jasper wanted nothing to do with him. Every interaction was just formalities with the blonde. Before that point, Hendrik had thought that other knight’s talk about Jasper’s mean streak was just meaningless trite. He was on the receiving end of that, now, though, and he could see what the soldiers meant. 

It was embarrassing how long Hendrik had denied that Jasper had changed for the worse. The blonde still had his vulnerable moments where he’d let Hendrik in, beg for him physically and emotionally, require the larger knight to be his rock while he’d just lament about nothing in particular. Jasper always mentioned that he missed Hendrik. Every time. That was all he’d really, specifically disclose to the larger man. Despite that, Jasper never had changed his distant attitude towards the general.

What had been Hendrik’s breaking point was Cobblestone. He’d heard rumors, of course, that Jasper could be absolutely brutal when leading his regime. But that was the first time he’d seen it firsthand. The town was destroyed, burned, turned to rubble where nothing was left standing. Hendrik was just glad that he’d gotten there before Jasper could do the same to its inhabitants.

Jasper was furious, then. He’d gone off about how Hendrik kept getting in his way, that the general was a bumbling oaf that knew nothing about how to strike fear into opponents. Hendrik’s comments about the villagers being nothing more than that, villagers, had struck deaf ears.

_“Well I’d_ love _to see where you’d put them.”_ Jasper had said, in reference to the poor state of Downtown Heliodor. The city was overpopulated as it was, and as much as Hendrik didn’t feel good about it, Carnelian had ordered him to put the residents in the dungeon. He understood, they had their part in raising the Darkspawn, but it didn’t seem like they knew even what the proper title of “Luminary” even meant. 

It was funny. He called the boy “Darkspawn,” but was that really correct? The Luminary didn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. Maybe it was just misfortune that followed the boy. Bad luck, as it may be. Hendrik had come to that conclusion after the encounter with the witch, and had only started questioning the information he’d been fed for eighteen years when he’d seen the Princess. Because Carnelian had stated she was dead, along with the rest of Dundrasil. He didn’t quite understand. And when he didn’t understand, he went to Jasper.

“Do you know what time it is?” Jasper looks exhausted, malice painting his normally graceful features.

“... No, admittedly not.” Hendrik says quietly. “I haven’t been able to find sleep easily. I’ve been thinking-”

“Well isn’t that a surprise,” Jasper comments. Hendrik was used to these sorts of digs at him even when the two had gotten along.

Hendrik frowns, “The Darkspawn. I’ve been thinking about the Darkspawn.” The general tries his best to ignore Jasper’s insult. “Princess Jade is not deceased as we’d once thought.”

“And how long have you been keeping that to yourself?” Jasper rolls his eyes, pushing the door open the rest of the way, stepping away from the entrance to his room and allowing Hendrik to enter.

“... Just over two weeks, I would say.” Hendrik steps in, though stays by the door just in case Jasper decides to snap at him for nothing in particular. “I know it was her. She really did not look any different than she did back before-”

“Do you realize how daft you sound, Hendrik?” Jasper cuts him off, holding up a hand to stop him. Despite Jasper’s words, he could see the spark of recognition in Jasper’s sharp, golden eyes. “It’s been eighteen years. Almost on the dot. There was no way she could have survived out in the woods on her own!” Jasper ends his sentence laughing. He really did know how to make Hendrik feel stupid.

“I do not think she was alone, otherwise I would agree with you.” Hendrik furrows his brow. He stops for a few moments, silence settling between the two men. “... Do you ever think about the possibility that His Highness may be lying to us?”

“...N... no.” Jasper says, slightly drawn out, wincing a little at the sound of his answer. Both the pause and the delivery of the singular word had Hendrik on edge. “What would he have to gain from that, anyways?”

“Winning the public over to his side,” Hendrik says bluntly.

“But _why_ would he need that, is the question, Hendrik.” Jasper points out, his own brow furrowing. “What would he have to gain from labelling the Luminary as the Darkspawn? What would he win from executing the boy? If he was faking Jade’s death, your answer suffices, but that still leaves everything else to be explained.”

Hendrik’s frown deepens. “I don’t know, yet. That’s not something I have really found a conclusion to.” He admits. “However, I believe you’ve forgotten how long we’ve known each other. You have your quirks when you lie. I’m not as much as an imbecile as you might think.”

Jasper is caught off guard by that, though after a second, lets a smirk crawl back onto his lips. He crosses his arms, letting out a little ‘hmph,’ “I thought a bit of distance would make you forget, I suppose.” He chuckles. “I guess I underestimated how much of a sentimental old fool you are.”

Hendrik stays quiet.

“Always clinging to the past. Is that why your discovery of Jade is bothering you so much?” Jasper shrugs. “I know she’s alive. She doesn’t seem intent on coming back, however. Neither does Carnelian seem keen on taking her back.” The blonde glances out of his bedroom window. “... Robert, the old coot, has corrupted her mind with the hope that the Luminary will save us all.”

That was right. Lord Robert was also still alive. Hendrik had just thought that the former king had been sentimental towards his grandson, but now the general wasn’t so sure.

“... Something tells me that wasn’t what you came here for.”

Hendrik nods, holding out his hand that held the token of fealty.

“Oh, you broke the chain?”

“No. The witch broke the chain.” Hendrik glares down at the coin. “... She seems awfully devoted to you.”

“... What are you accusing me of, sleeping with a witch?”

“I do not believe I need to inform you that I don’t appreciate you lying to my face like this.” Hendrik says coldly.

“... Hm.” Jasper steps away from Hendrik. “For your information, I did not tell Krystalinda to do anything of the sort. She came to that conclusion on her own.”

“And you knew about it? And didn’t bother correcting her?” Hendrik steps towards Jasper, fingers clenched around the amulet once more.

“I thought you’d be able to take her. Or, really, not to go to Sniflheim. You didn’t have any business there.” Jasper continues to back away from his former friend, answering just as coolly as he normally did, however the spark of fear did ignite behind his eyes.

“People were _dying,_ Jasper,” Hendrik growls.

“And what of it? Your mission was to hunt down the Darkspawn, was it not?”

“It was, but it is my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. That is a part of the pledge I’d taken.” Hendrik was close to Jasper, now, and the smaller man was trembling slightly, the blonde’s sleep-addled mind not even thinking about the fact that he could easily defeat the larger man with magic.

“You act like I’m the one who did that. I was just repaying a favor.” The blonde’s back iss pressed against the doors to his closet, his eyes darting everywhere around the room except to Hendrik.

“You are directly responsible.” Hendrik shakes his head. “I do not feel like you deserve the privilege of calling yourself a knigh-” 

Hendrik had barely any time to finish his sentence before he felt the sharp sting against his cheek, reeling back. The larger man pressed a hand to his face, his nose throbbing. It wasn’t broken, though it takes a moment for Hendrik to realise that Jasper had slapped him. As he stares at the blonde, bewildered, Jasper looks just as shocked at what he had just done. It takes a moment for Jasper to compose himself, saying darkly. “Get out of my room, Hendrik.”

“What-”

“Out. Now.” Jasper repeats, pointing towards the door.

Hendrik is still dazed as he shambles out of Jasper’s quarters, the doors slamming shut behind him as he does. He doesn’t feel comfortable coming to the realization that he wasn’t on the right side of this battle.


End file.
